State acts tough, PSA slapped on accused

With fire over the Aap Shambhu Temple incident yet to douse, another similar incident took place in Nanak Nagar area of Jammu city.

A youth belonging to minority community allegedly desecrated Shiv temple in broad daylight. But this time, it was alert public which caught hold of accused and handed him over to the police. Acting swiftly, district administration slapped PSA on the accused to prevent the situation from getting uglier. Internet services which had just been resorted were snapped again so that neither pictures nor videos if at all are shared on the social networking sites.

The incident led to people downing shutters and staging protest demonstration. Accused has been identified as Gurbachan Singh son of Harbans Singh, resident of Nanak Nagar. According to sources, accused is expelled police constable. They said that the accused entered inside the temple and tried to vandalize the temple property. He was aiming to damage the idols in the temple but was immediately caught, thrashed and handed over to the police, said the eyewitnesses.

They added that while this youngman was madly rushing here and there inside the temple premises, trying to damage temple property, he was heard speaking to someone. Eyewitnesses said that he was heard demanding money for smashing the sacred idols kept in the temple. They maintained that after he committed the grievous act, he was heard informing someone over the mobile of having done the job assigned to him.

Sources asserted that the accused was caught by the locals and handed over to the police who rushed to spot after getting informed and arrested him besides shifted him to the police station Gandhi Nagar. Large number of people also assembled outside the temple and started Dharna after which District Magistrate Jammu Simrandeep Singh, SP Jammu city Shehzad Salaria along with other officers rushed to the spot and assured to book culprit under PSA by the evening.

Accused has been sent to Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal Jammu after slapping of PSA by DC Jammu under order number 435/Camp/PS Gandhi Nagar/PSA of 2016. A case has also been registered against the accused under FIR number 137 under section 295 CrPc. The slapping of PSA pacified the agitators but there are reports of protests likely to be held on Friday all over Jammu region.